The present invention relates to a method for the recovery of hydrocarbon products from elastomeric products. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for the recovery of various hydrocarbon products from elastomeric products such as discarded vehicle tires and other rubber products. In particular, the present invention relates to a method for the recovery of various hydrocarbon products, including elastomeric hydrocarbons, and miscellaneous scrap metals from discarded rubber and other elastomeric products such as discarded vehicle tires, hoses, gaskets, coated electrical wire, and the like.
As used herein, the terms "elastomer", "elastomeric", and the like refer to natural rubber, synthetic rubber, and other polymers that can be stretched at room temperature to at least twice their original length and, after having been stretched, will return to approximately their original length in a short time when the stress is removed. In general, elastomers also are "resilient" in that they have the ability to recover their size and shape following deformation, such as by a tensile or compressive force.
It is well known that vehicle tires and certain other elastomeric products do not compact well and are not degradable in landfills. It is further known that, while shredding may reduce the volume of such products in landfills, such products still occupy a significant proportion of total landfill volume. Many landfill operators refuse to accept whole tires or are prohibited by law from accepting whole tires for placement in their landfills. It is estimated that hundreds of millions of discarded vehicle tires are dumped illegally or are stored throughout the nation, and millions more are accumulating annually. Many public agencies are becoming increasingly concerned about the public health hazards associated with the breeding of certain mosquito strains in discarded rubber tires, and laws have been enacted which regulate or prohibit the storage of discarded tires. In addition, discarded tires and other elastomeric products represent an enormous untapped and wasted hydrocarbon resource. However, at present there is seemingly no viable economically or environmentally sound process available to dispose of the enormous accumulation of discarded tires, or to recover the hydrocarbon resources contained in discarded tires and other discarded elastomeric products.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for the disposal of discarded rubber tires and for the recovery of the hydrocarbon and other resources contained therein.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for the disposal of other discarded elastomeric products such as discarded hoses, gaskets, elastomeric coated electrical wire, and any other discarded elastomers of rubber or plastic.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method for the conversion of whole or shredded discarded tires and other discarded elastomeric products into useful hydrocarbon products and clean scrap metal when such metal is present in the feed stock.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a method for converting discarded elastomeric products into elastomeric hydrocarbons which are suitable for use in making roofing materials, waterproofing sealants, binders and other useful products.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a method for the disposal of discarded rubber vehicle tires and other discarded elastomeric products, and for the conversion of such tires and other elastomeric products into various hydrocarbon products and scrap metal in an environmentally safe manner.
These and other objects of the present invention, as well as the advantages thereof, will become more clear from the disclosure which follows.